1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ash tray apparatus provided with a cigarette lighter suitable for use in an automotive vehicle, and more specifically to an ash tray such that a cigarette lighter can be exposed simultaneously when an ash tray is pulled open from an instrument panel of an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In automotive vehicles, smoker's requisites such as an ash tray and a cigarette lighter are usually arranged on an instrument panel of an automotive vehicle. When the cigarette lighter is arranged on the panel surface, this is not preferable from interior design or safety point of view. Therefore, ash tray apparatus provided with a cigarette lighter have been proposed. In these apparatus, when the ash tray is pulled out frontward, the cigarette lighter is also exposed in linkage with ash tray frontward motion.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Published (Kokai) Utility Mode Application No. 60-68996 discloses an ash tray apparatus such that a cigarette lighter is slided out open in straight motion fashion when an ash tray is pulled out straight horizontally. In this apparatus, however, since the ash tray is pulled out straight toward the user, there exists a problem such that it is not easy to handle the lighter exposed near the base end of the pulled-out ash tray, because the user's hand is readily brought into contact with an inner lid of the ash tray or others. In addition, the sufficiently pulled-out ash tray is rather obstructive for the user who wants to use the cigarette lighter.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Published (Kokai) Utility Model Application No. 60-68997 discloses another ash tray apparatus such that a cigarette lighter is pivoted open in rotary motion fashion when an ash tray is pulled out also straight horizontally. However, this apparatus involves the same drawbacks as already explained.
The arrangement of the prior-art ash tray apparatus provided with a cigarette lighter will be described in further detail hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings under DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS.